Physics & TSI Public Talk: The Flight of the HELIX – Measuring the Galaxy from 40 km Above Greenland

Have you ever wondered what a balloon-borne particle detector, floating 40 km above the Earth, can reveal about our Galaxy?

Join us on Thursday, October 9th, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM for the first TSI & Physics Public Talk of the academic year: “The Flight of the HELIX – Measuring the Galaxy from 40 km Above Greenland”, presented by Professor David Hanna at McGill University.

About the Talk: The High-Energy Light Isotope eXperiment (HELIX) is a balloon-borne particle detector designed to measure the flux of cosmic rays confined to the Milky Way Galaxy by its magnetic field. Its main goal is to determine the abundance ratio of unstable ¹⁰Be to stable ⁹Be, thereby helping scientists to probe the size and shape of our Galaxy’s magnetic field. To carry out this task requires lifting a two-tonne spectrometer, based on a superconducting magnet, to the edge of space using a giant helium-filled balloon. 

In this talk, Professor David Hanna will provide an introduction to cosmic rays and their history, followed by a description of the HELIX payload including explanations of the technologies underlying its different components. Much of the presentation will focus on HELIX's first flight, from Kiruna, Sweden to Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, that took place between May 28 and June 3, 2024.

📅 Date: Thursday, October 9th, 2025
🕖 Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: Trottier 0100, Trottier Building (3630 University St, Montréal)

Can’t make it in person? The talk will also be streamed live on TSI's YouTube channel! The event is free and open to everyone. Mark your calendars, we hope to see you there!